The present invention relates to a management system for the maintenance, management, control, service and the like of an air conditioner used in a composite facility such as a building and shop, and to a converter unit used for the management system. The converter unit is particularly suitable for Ethernet (registered trademark of Xerox Corporation in USA, network medium whose specifications are stipulated by IEEE) of the BACnet specification which is standardizing a communication protocol for a building management system (A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks: ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135-1995).
For multi air conditioners in building and the like, large system requirements, energy savings, management cost savings, new services, new needs and the like are highly concerned. Control information and the like of an air conditioner are now used in an open network system. For example, as described in JP-A-9-79654, running data of an air conditioner is transmitted via a gateway to a network to perform diagnosis of a running state, control and the like of the air conditioner at a centralized controller. For example, as described in JP-A-11-230602, information on a running state of an air conditioner is collected and allowed to be browsed via the Internet.
According to the above-described conventional techniques, since control information and the like of an air conditioner are used in an open network, there is a close affinity with standardization and building facilities. However, it is still not satisfactory in terms of changing a small management system to a large system with expected investment effects, system configuration, satisfying various user needs, system sharing, feasibility of system expansion and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to make it easy to connect an air conditioner to another system and provide an open network environment, a multi vendor system, highly efficient management, and improved services. It is an another object of the invention to provide a management system for an air conditioner excellent in system expendability, maintenance and reliability irrespective of a system scale and a converter unit to be used with the management system. The management system has a high degree of freedom allowing a user to develop an application in each field.
In order to solve the above problems, the invention provides a management system for an air conditioner, the management system having a monitor apparatus for monitoring and controlling an air conditioner, comprising: a status database for storing collected running data of the air conditioner; and a setting database for storing setting data of the air conditioner, the setting data including data regarding a running stop state, a running mode, an air quantity and a temperature, respectively of the air conditioner, wherein the running data stored in the status database is read to monitor the air conditioner and the setting data is rewritten to control the air conditioner.
It is preferable that the management system further comprises a terminal apparatus which reads the running data and rewrites the setting data via the Internet.
It is preferable that the management system further comprises a Web server having the status database and the setting database written in a hyper text format.
The invention also provides a management system for an air conditioner, the management system having a monitor apparatus for monitoring the air conditioner having an indoor machine and an outdoor machine, comprising: PAC transmission software for transmitting setting data to a transmission path connected to the indoor machine and the outdoor machine and receiving running data from the transmission path; transmission software for receiving the setting data from the monitor apparatus and transmitting the running data to the monitor apparatus; and a converter for performing data conversion between the PAC transmission software and the transmission software, wherein the running data is transmitted to the monitor apparatus at a predetermined interval and the setting data is transmitted to the transmission path if the setting data changes.
It is preferable that the setting data is data regarding a running stop state, a running mode, an air quantity and a temperature, respectively of the air conditioner.
It is preferable that the transmission software is associated with a USB interface.
The invention further provides a converter to be used by a management system for an air conditioner and connected to a monitor apparatus, the air conditioner having an indoor machine and an outdoor machine, the converter comprising a USB interface wherein running data of the air conditioner is transmitted via the USB interface at a predetermined interval, and setting data to be used as a control signal for the air conditioner is transmitted to a transmission path connected to the outdoor machine and the indoor machine.
It is preferable that the setting data is data regarding a running start/stop state, a running mode, an air quantity and a temperature, respectively of the air conditioner, and a drive frequency of a compressor of the outdoor machine and an opening degree of each expansion valve of the outdoor machine and the indoor machine are protected so as not to be controlled.
The present invention further provides a medium storing a program for realizing a monitoring and controlling function of a management system for an air conditioner having an outdoor machine and an indoor machine, wherein the program realizes: a function of receiving running data of the air conditioner and forming a database of the running data; a function of storing setting data regarding a running start/stop state, a running mode, an air quantity and a temperature, respectively of the air conditioner; and a function of transmitting the stored setting data to the air conditioner if the stored setting data changes.
The present invention further provides a program to be used with a management system for an air conditioner having an outdoor machine and an indoor machine, wherein the program realizes: a function of receiving data from the air conditioner and forming a database; a function of storing setting data of the air conditioner; and a function of transmitting the stored setting data to the air conditioner if the stored setting data changes.